Dragon Warriors
by Zero the Warrior of Chaos
Summary: I'm not going to bother with a summary. If you want to know what it's about, then read it. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed, but no flames please. This is based on my personal experience as a Monster Hunter player who only has the 3DS version and has never played with anyone else on it. By "based," I mean that I got this idea from it.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Nothing in this story is owned by me. Except for the OCs, it all belongs to Capcom.**

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_Port Tanzia, home of the Hunter's Guild, and a gathering spot for hunters of all kinds. The Hunter's Guild is responsible for assigning quests to all hunters, whether they're requests to hunt titanic monsters or delivery requests. Every resource these hunters collect during their quests, whether from nature or from their kills, goes towards improving their gear to help them survive future hunts._

_ Each hunter is unique, both in personality and equipment choice. Some prefer the long range properties of Bows and Bowguns, while others prefer the quick, agile strikes that dual blades offer, and others still prefer the raw power that Great Swords and Hammers deliver. People often make the assumption that, with the right equipment, a hunter can overcome any challenge, no matter how difficult it may seem. More often than not, they are wrong._

_ They often forget that hunters are still mortal, that they're still human beings. There is only so much one hunter can do. That is why every hunter has hunted as a group at least once in their lifetime...except for one._

_ There is one hunter that has always worked alone. People call him the Dragon Master because of his colossal kill count of the King and Queen of the Sky, the flying wyverns known as Rathalos and Rathians, including the subspecies of those majestic dragon wyverns, the Pink Rathian and Azure Rathalos. If someone were to view his file in the Hunter's Guild, they would see that this Dragon Master had single-handedly overcome every challenge he went against, even managing to take down a Deviljho, a creature said to be the Devil incarnate, both for its habit of eating every creature in sight and for its immense strength._

_ No hunter has ever seen the Dragon Master, but it's said that he resides in Moga Village. He had been assigned there as a young rookie hunter, and has been there ever since, never once visiting Port Tanzia. The Guild has tried to pair him up with other hunters time after time, but he has always refused._

_ But in the coming weeks, his simple, quiet lifestyle will change, and the Dragon Master will have to make a choice that will change him forever..._

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**A/N: This is only a small synopsis to set down the world, main character and all that bullshit. I had the hardest time writing this thing, mainly because I haven't done a fanfic in a long time. Anyway, let me know what you think, and I'll start getting chapters out when I can.**


	2. Chapter 1: Rookies

Chapter 1: Recruits

The smell of molten rock and ash. The roar of a titanic monster. The feeling of my weapon in hand. These things, coupled with the heat of the volcano, were nothing new to me. Thunder Saw in hand, I charged, moving faster than anyone else could with a Long Sword, towards my target. Said target was a Brachydios, wounded and struggling to get to safety. Its tail was gone, chopped off by my weapon, and its legendary arms and horn were broken, made nearly useless. In a desperate move, the Brachydios attempted to burrow underground.

That would be the final decision it would ever make.

Rushing forward, I swung my colossal saw in a horizontal slash as the Brachydios fit its head through the hole it had made, spinning as I did so.

Time seemed to stop as I slowly sheathed my weapon, my back turned to the monster I was now in front of. As soon as I heard the clamp on my armor click onto the weapon, a splattering sound accompanied it behind me, and the head of the Brachydios separated from its neck and fell into the hole it had made, blood gushing from the neck.

Behind my helmet, I smiled sadly. It was fitting that it had quite literally dug its own grave. This creature had fought well, and to the very end. A beast like that deserved a warrior's death, and I had given it just that.

Turning to its decapitated corpse, I began to salvage any materials I could from it. I was quite content with my Azure Rathalos armor, but I always salvaged what I could from my targets for the Hunter's Guild to use. Once that was done, I used a Farcaster to get back to base, where the ship back to Moga Village would be waiting for me.

As I boarded the ship, the captain greeted me with a pat on the back. "Another successful hunt, eh Blade?" he said with a grin.

I smiled and bumped fists with him. "Of course, Captain," I replied, taking a seat and leaning back as the ship began to head back to the village. "It fought well, but nothing I can't handle."

Suddenly the captain's expression turned serious. "Listen Blade, you're running yourself ragged with these constant hunts," he said with concern. "Why don't you play hooky for a few days? You could use the rest."

"You know I can't do that, Devon," I said sternly, saying the captain's first name as I sat up and took off my helmet, setting it beside me. "The people of Moga Village count on me to protect them and help them whenever I can. I know they can take care of themselves, but ever since we've been sending materials to help support new recruits at the Hunter's Guild, we've had a massive influx of requests. The higher-ups at the Hunter's Guild are counting on me to do my part. I cannot let them down."

The captain closed his eyes and shook his head. "To be honest, you might not have a choice soon," he replied. "I heard from the Guild Sweetheart that they've been pairing hunters in other areas together with teams of recruits to help teach them the ropes. Considering your reputation in the Guild, I wouldn't be surprised if they did the same to you."

"The last thing I need right now is a bunch of rookies," I said. "They'd just get in my way, and the Guild knows that."

"They might," the captain agreed. "But at the same time, they would likely want their recruits to learn from the best of the best. I can't think of anyone more qualified than you."

"I don't like to think that way, Devon," I replied, pointing to my forehead. "Even if I am one of the best, I can't let it get to my head. Thinking that way can poison the mind and make it vulnerable to corruption."

He raised an eyebrow at my remark, but shrugged it off. "Besides," I continued, standing up with my helmet in hand. "Like I said, they'd only get in the way and likely get themselves killed. I don't need innocent blood on my hands."

With those final parting words, I went below deck to wait until we reached the village, putting my helmet back on as I did.

* * *

It wasn't long before I felt the ship stop, and I smiled and sighed in relief as I quickly made my way back onto the deck, the glare of the sun greeting me. I shielded my eyes from the glare until my eyes adjusted. No matter how many times I returned to this place, it never ceased to make me smile.

As I stepped off the ship and walked down the path into the main plaza of Moga Village, I noticed there was a small crowd gathered near another port. Curious, I went over to the Quest Counter and was greeted by the Guild Sweetheart, who smiled and waved. She was a bit of a ditsy person, but that was part of what made her tick, and she always knew how to make me smile.

"Hey Blade!" she greeted cheerfully. "Another successful hunt?"

Deja vu. "Yup," I said, handing over the Brachydios pieces to her. "Here are the parts that the Guild requested."

"Great job!" she said with a grin. "I'll make sure that the Guild gets these supplies as soon as I can."

"By the way, what's going on over there at the port?" I asked.

"Oh, right," she said with a thoughtful look. "I did mean to tell you before you left." Her face suddenly turned serious. "So, you know how I told you that the Guild has been pairing more experienced hunters with new recruits?"

"Yeah...why?" I asked, though I feared I already knew why.

"Well, despite how much I tried to convince them not to on your behalf, they've assigned you a team of three rookies," she said bluntly.

My eyes narrowed, and I slammed my fist onto the counter. "God damn it!" I exclaimed. "Even with how much you and I have fought them, they go and do something like this!"

"Easy, Blade," she said, trying to get me to calm down. "There's still some good news."

I looked up at her. "There are three rookies here who the Guild expects me to train, we have a mountain of high-ranked quests for me to complete, and I'm required to send materials from my quests directly to the Guild," I said, my eye twitching in anger. "What good news could there possibly be?"

"Well first off," she began, "As long as the rookies are with you, you won't be doing very many high ranking quests, so you can probably relax a little. Second, while you're training them, sending materials from hunts to the Guild is optional."

"Well, at least that way they're more likely not to get themselves killed," I said. "Anything else?"

"Yes. The Itinerant Cook expanded his place a little bit to accommodate for the four of you while you were gone," she said with a smile. "Don't worry Blade, you'll do great as a teacher."

"I hope you're right," I muttered. I turned around as I heard footsteps behind me, and I was greeted by the faces of the three new hunters. They were each dressed in the standard leather armor that each rookie hunter begins in. From what I could see, there was a guy and two girls. They looked at me in awe. They knew who I was, even if they couldn't see me through my helmet.

One of the girls approached me, trying to look confident. This one wielded Matching Slicers, the standard kind of Dual Blades. Her eyes were the color of a Rathian, and her skin cream white. She had black hair, and she had a very fit figure. She stopped a couple feet away and saluted. "It's an honor to meet you, Dragon Master," she began. She seemed to have a rough edge to her tone, indicating she was likely a tomboy. "My name is Serris. I look forward to training under the best."

"At ease, recruit," I said, to which she stopped her salute and visibly relaxed. "What are the names of your fellow recruits?"

"I am Orion, Dragon Master," the boy said, bowing. This one had dirty blonde hair and slightly tan skin with brown eyes, and his voice had a bit of a rumbling sound to it. He wielded an Iron Hammer, and he looked very eager to begin.

The final one seemed the most nervous and shy. Like Serris, she had cream colored skin, but her eyes were a deep blue and her hair was brown. Unlike the others, she seemed to be suited for long range combat, which was indicated by her slightly frail form and the fact that her weapon of choice was a Bow. I walked up to her and put my hands on her shoulders. "Speak, recruit," I said. "What is your name?"

She looked up into my helmet, unable to see my face. "M-my name is Yumi, sir," she said nervously, her voice displaying a gentle disposition.

I smiled behind my helmet. All of them seemed to be around my age. Somehow the Guild had managed to get me recruits that were about as old as I was. Granted, I was only 20 years old and had started hunting about two years ago. I stepped back so that I could see them all clearly. "Recruits, form up!" I said abruptly, and they quickly lined up horizontally.

I began to pace back and forth in front of them. "You were sent to me by the Guild to receive training from the best of the best," I began. "It's obvious they see great potential in you three. For me, that remains to be seen. But if you think you'll become the best of the best, think again." I stopped in front of Orion and turned towards him. "There is no such thing. There is only the best you. That is why you've been sent here, to become the best you that you can possibly be."

Orion nodded nervously, and I continued pacing. "And do not think this is a competition," I said as I stopped in front of Serris next, looking directly at her. "Trying to impress me will only get you killed. There are no favorites here."

Finally, I came to Yumi. "I will train you to become strong, to overcome any obstacle," I continued. "Deviljho will tremble at the sight of you when I'm through with you three."

As I continued pacing, I came to the most crucial piece of advice. "And finally," I said. "The four of us are part of a team now. You must put aside any differences you may have to work together and keep each other safe in the heat of battle. Do I make myself clear?"

The three of them nodded, and I smiled. I then reached up and took off my helmet, revealing slightly red skin, brown eyes and brown hair that almost looks black because of the shade of it. "From now on, you will address me as Blademaster," I said. "Understood?" They nodded again. "Good."

I put my helmet back on and began the final piece of my improvised speech. "We head out for Moga Woods tomorrow to begin your training," I said. "I will expect you all to be up and ready to go first thing in the morning. No exceptions! Do I make myself clear?"

They all nodded "Good," I said. Dismissed!" With that, they all went their separate ways to prepare for the next day. I also took my leave to look for the Chief's son Junior.

* * *

I eventually found him in the same spot I usually do, on a box of crates overlooking the village. "Hey Junior!" I called, causing him to look down.

"Ah, Blade!" he greeted with a smile. "I see you met the new recruits. A friendly bunch, they are. Boy's a little hot-headed, though."

"Good to know," I said. "Can you tell me what we're looking at tomorrow in terms of large monsters?"

"I've been hearing Great Jaggi out in the woods the last couple days," Junior replied. "I don't know how many there are out there, though."

"Oh, you mean those giant chickens?" I said with a grin. "One rookie hunter might have a hard time with them, but three will be more than enough."

"Ah, so you're going to test their metal against the Great Jaggi?" he said with a smile. "Well, just be careful out there. I also spotted a Rathian flying around the woods."

"A Rathian, huh?" I said as I rested my fist against my chin, my index finger curling around where my mouth would be as I thought. "I should give them some chain mail armor. That way they'll stand at least a bit more of a chance. I'll see you later Junior. Thanks for the forecast."

"Any time, Blade," he said with a smile.

* * *

The Wyvern Artisan was a bit perplexed by my request for three sets of chain mail armor at first, but when I explained the situation, he was more than happy to oblige. I gave each set of armor to a rookie for the next day, and after letting the Village Chief know what I planned to do, I retired to my home.

My house never failed to make me smile at its simplicity. I never felt that the furniture that people can get was necessary. As a result, I had left my house the same as it had been since I first arrived in Moga Village as a rookie.

I took off my armor and set it down next to the bed so that I could use it tomorrow. As I sat on the bed, I thought of everything that had transpired in the last few hours. I had never thought that I would be training a team of rookie hunters. I wondered how they would do in their test tomorrow. Probably a lot better in that chain mail gear.

Little did I know that tomorrow would be one of the scariest days of my life...

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**A/N: Well. I certainly didn't expect that this inspiration would come along that quickly.**


	3. Chapter 2: A Dangerous Exam

Chapter 2: A Dangerous Exam

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I woke up the next morning at around 7:00, full of energy. As I began to get my armor back on, I thought back to the monster that the rookies would be testing against today, the Great Jaggi. I remembered when defeating one was a challenge for me. They were fast, and were often backed up by their Jaggi and Jaggia followers. They were a true test for any rookie hunter.

_But talk to any veteran hunters, and they'd tell you that Great Jaggi and their relatives are nothing more than really big chickens, and considering how little damage they inflict to high-grade armor, it might as well be true,_ I thought with a chuckle as I put on my helmet and attached my Thunder Saw to my back.

As I walked out of my house, I saw Orion and Serris standing at attention outside, waiting for me. They were clad in the Chain Mail armor I had made them, and they looked very eager. But where was Yumi?

I walked over to the two, and they bowed to me. "Good morning, Blademaster," they said simultaneously.

"At ease, rookies," I said, and they both relaxed. "Where is Yumi?"

As if on cue, I heard someone running towards us, and I turned around to find Yumi coming towards us. She stopped in front of me, panting as she tried to catch her breath, before looking up at me to see I had my arms crossed and my head cocked to one side in a puzzled manner.

"Sorry I'm late, Blademaster," she said as she stood at attention. "I was on my way here when the Chief's Son called me over."

I raised an eyebrow behind my helmet. "Junior called you?" I asked. "What for?"

"He wanted me to tell you," she began, "that last night he saw a Rathian again, only this time it was pink. He also saw something he called an Azure Rathalos flying around as well."

My eyes narrowed. A Pink Rathian and an Azure Rathalos? Why would there be two of the subspecies of Rathian and Rathalos on the island? This had only happened one other time, and that was during mating season. But mating season for the Queen of the Land and King of the Skies was still a long way away, so that couldn't be it.

After thinking it over a little bit, I finally decided on something. "Okay everyone, change of plans," I said. "We're still going after a Great Jaggi, but if you see any giant flying wyverns, don't try to fight them. Just run. Understand?"

They each exchanged looks of confusion, but they all nodded.

"Good," I said as I walked over to the Itinerant Cook and handed him a voucher. "Now, eat up. You'll be able to get a lot more done with a full belly."

We all sat down at the counter and ordered our meals. I chose my favorite combination, a Megabagel and King Turkey, and ordered them to be steamed. I also told the Cook to give the rookies access to the same quality ingredients as me. Once our food was brought to us, I saw what the others had. Serris had ordered a King Truffle and Royale Cheese; Orion had a King Turkey and a King Truffle; Yumi had a King Turkey and Royale Cheese.

As soon as we had finished our meals, I stopped by the shop and got them some potions, then guided the three of them to the exit leading into Moga Woods, completely unaware of what was about to happen...

* * *

As we walked through the gate and past the barricade, we came up onto a cliff that held a great view of the island. No matter how many times I came here, the view never ceased to put a smile on my face. Looking at the others, they all had similar looks of awe strewn on their faces. As much fun as it was to watch them gawk, though, we had a job to do.

"No time for sightseeing, rookies," I said loudly, snapping them out of their respective trances. "We have a job to do."

I quickly led the way down the cliff, which led us to an open field with a small waterfall coming from another cliff above us, forming into a small stream that went across the field. On the other side of the field, I could see the target we're searching for: a Great Jaggi. It hadn't spotted us yet, so I had the four of us sneak behind the small waterfall. It wouldn't provide a lot of cover, but it would buy me time to give them some encouragement.

"Okay, there's your target," I said. "Follow your instincts, keep calm, read its movements, and work together. If you can do that, you'll all come out victorious."

They all nodded and began to turn around to look at the Great Jaggi. "One last thing," I continued. "You may not be aware, but all monsters have self-regenerative capabilities, meaning that they can almost instantly heal any damage they take, so don't be surprised if your strikes are connecting but nothing seems to be happening. However, they won't be able to heal themselves completely from each blow, so you can still do damage."

The rookies nodded again, focused on their target.

"Happy hunting."

With those final words, the three jumped out from behind the waterfall with a fierce battle cry.

The moment it heard the danger, the Great Jaggi turned to the three hunters and took an aggressive stance.

(Cue Music: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate – Usurper of the Deserted Island.)

I watched as Yumi broke off from the group, making sure to keep her distance from the monster as she readied her Bow. The Great Jaggi charged Orion and Serris, the two hunters drawing their weapons as it came closer. Orion reared back his hammer as he ran, preparing to deliver a lethal blow.

Just as the Great Jaggi was about to reach them, Serris broke into a full sprint and slid underneath the monster, narrowly missing a bite aimed directly at her head. As she slid, she raised up one of her Slicers and slashed the monster's belly, earning a satisfying shriek from it. Coming out of the slide, she rolled forward to gain some distance. The Great Jaggi looked back at her and snarled. It was just about to focus its attention back on Orion when...

_WHAM!_

The monster was greeted with an uppercut right into its chin from Orion's hammer. The force of the impact sent it flying up with a shriek, and it landed on its side with a thud. The Great Jaggi quickly got back on its feet, shaking its head, not appearing to be hurt. In fact, it looked more pissed than anything else. Raising its head to the sky, it let out a strange call which could be heard across the whole of Moga Woods.

Several seconds later, several Jaggi and Jaggia appeared on the scene, answering their leader's call. Now outnumbered, Serris and Orion went back to back, taking up defensive positions.

As I watched, I smiled. _Now let's see if Yumi can put her bow to good use,_ I thought as I turned to watch her. Yumi had a cluster arrow loaded, and was assessing the situation before her. The look of concentration on her face was unrivaled, even among the hardiest of the Moga fishermen.

A deep breath, and she drew back the arrow, aimed it up into the sky and released.

I held my breath as the arrow flew straight and true. The problem with cluster arrows was that when the cluster blew and where the arrows would land were both unpredictable. I could only hope that Orion and Serris would be able to get out of the way in time.

The arrow released its payload halfway to its target, and the smaller arrows began their descent towards their targets. Serris saw the raining arrows and grabbed Orion, then took off in a full-on sprint, the two leaping over the Jaggi just in time as arrows rained death down on the Great Jaggi's followers.

The storm of arrows landing kicked up a large cloud of dust as the sounds of dying Jaggi and Jaggia sounded through the air. Orion and Serris continued to run, never looking back until they were a safe distance away.

When the dust settled, it revealed the carnage that had been hidden from view. The bodies of the Great Jaggi's kin lay everywhere, but the monster itself looked completely unscathed. The Great Jaggi roared in rage at the loss of its kin, setting its sights on Yumi. The monster charged towards her, even as she readied another arrow. She was about to fire, but the monster had already reached her. It threw its whole body at her, shoulder first, knocking her off of her feet and sending her tumbling head over heels on the ground. Yumi tried to get back up, but the monster pinned her to the ground with its feet. Its clawed feet dug into her chain mail armor, trying to get through it to wound her. Her comrades saw this and quickly began rushing towards her, weapons at the ready.

The Great Jaggi proceeded to try and take off Yumi's head, with Yumi struggling to keep its jaws at bay. Orion and Serris had almost reached her when...

_BOOM!_

Without warning, a fireball exploded in front of the two, knocking them away from their friend. _Oh no,_ I thought as I grasped the hilt of my Thunder Saw. _They're here._

Sure enough, two dragon wyverns descended from the sky, one blue and one pink. A Pink Rathian and Azure Rathalos. They landed on the ground with a loud thud and let out ear-piercing roars.

The Great Jaggi visibly flinched at the sight of the two massive beasts and leapt back, freeing Yumi in the process. Orion and Serris quickly got to their comrade and hoisted her up, pulling her away from the Rath Siblings. The Rathalos caught sight of them and let out another roar, catching the attention of his mate in the process. Before they could do anything, I jumped out from behind the waterfall as my saw roared with anticipation. That caught the attention of the two wyverns, and they both snarled at the sight of my Rath Soul armor. The Rathalos charged towards me with a roar, and I nimbly rolled out of the way as it got close, slashing its wing as I came out of the roll. Now I had the full attention of both wyverns.

I quickly turned towards the rookies as I dodged a fireball from the Rathalos. "Go!" I shouted. "Get back to the village! I'll meet you there once I've taken care of things here!"

Serris looked back at me with worry. "But what about you?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me, rookie," I answered, dodging a slash from an airborne Rathian's talons. "This is child's play!"

Orion and Serris looked at each other, then nodded, taking off with Yumi towards Moga Village.

With them out of harm's way, I could give these two wyverns my full attention.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, the Great Jaggi wasn't going to give up just yet...

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** A/N: I apologize for the delay with this chapter. I didn't have much inspiration for this chapter until just now. Plus I had to figure out an excuse for the fact that monsters don't show any signs of being hit until enough damage is done (and the fact that large weapons often sink right through the monsters when you hit them) so it wouldn't detract from what makes the combat in MH so good. And let me tell ya, it wasn't easy.**

** Anywaaaay, I figured this chapter has been long overdue, and I'm probably going to be updating a bit more frequently. R&amp;R, and let me know what I can do to make this story better...aside from updating more.**

** Zero, out!**


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